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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: arm · pitcher · dip · safe · season · perch · ball · bore

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. season — in sport
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. perch — the fish
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. bore — to drill
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. ball — a dance
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. dip — to sink
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. bore — to tire
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. season — of the year

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com